Building healthier communities through active travel in Brighouse

Pennine GP Alliance, which is now embedded in the Lower Valley Primary Care Network (PCN) in Brighouse, has always had one clear mission: to improve community wellbeing and tackle health inequalities.

When the team looked closely at local needs, they spotted a big gap. While people wanted more ways to stay active, there weren’t many opportunities for accessible, community-based cycling or active travel groups. This inspired the idea for an Active Travel Hub, a space to support walking, cycling, and wheeling as everyday choices that improve health and bring people together.

To kick start the project, it was essential to develop a funding bid, a process which became a spark for community connection. Pennine GP Alliance reached out to key local organisations, including Focus4Hope and The Space @ Field Lane, to shape the project together. Through outreach and planning meetings, they worked side by side to design how the Hub would run. This included making sure the Hub Coordinator would have a regular presence at both Focus4Hope and The Space, ensuring the service was easy to access and truly community-led.

This collaborative approach paid off. Not only did it strengthen existing partnerships, but it also built new ones, creating a strong, supportive network across the Lower Valley. The project showed how powerful it can be when health services and community groups work hand in hand. Pennine GP Alliance brought health promotion expertise, while their partners brought deep grassroots knowledge of local needs. Together, they created a funding bid that was practical, locally responsive, and shaped by the people it was designed to serve.

“Developing this bid has been incredibly insightful. Working so closely with Focus4Hope and The Space has enriched our understanding of community needs and how active travel can be integrated. It’s a fantastic example of creating the best outcomes together and will undoubtedly lead to a more impactful service for our patients and the wider community.”

Hannah Davies, General Practice Physical Activity Champion

The insight gathered also means that Pennine GP Alliance has developed a deeper understanding of the community, which will help shape future projects. For Focus4Hope and The Space, the partnership has created stronger links to health promotion, allowing them to bring even more benefits to the people they support.

Most importantly, this project has laid the foundations for long-term collaboration. By fostering genuine interdependence, the organisations involved are now better connected and ready to work together on future initiatives.